


Seven for a Secret

by BlueKiwi, LyraNgalia



Series: Silvered Lightning [3]
Category: The Dresden Files - All Media Types, The Dresden Files - Jim Butcher
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-09
Updated: 2013-05-09
Packaged: 2017-12-10 22:01:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/790664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueKiwi/pseuds/BlueKiwi, https://archiveofourown.org/users/LyraNgalia/pseuds/LyraNgalia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"...seven for a secret never to be told." Elaine agrees to Thomas's idea of moving to Chicago - and that's when the trouble starts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Seven for a Secret

"You're kidding me."

It had taken around two weeks of consideration, and even then Elaine wasn't exactly thrilled with the final decision. Southern California had been her home for years and having to move on top of everything else that was attempting to turn her life upside down wasn't something she wanted to take lightly. But Thomas unfortunately had a point about the danger of remaining by herself, and she had once again vehemently cursed the Vegas mission and Thomas's stupid cousin to all seven hells before reluctantly agreeing.

That did _not_ mean that she was prepared for the car to roll into the Gold Coast and stop in front of a heinously-expensive luxury apartment building. It took her all of two seconds to realize what that had meant and she turned a cold, disapproving glare over to where Thomas sat.

"No. _Absolutely_ not."

 

He gave her a flat look, as expressionless as hers was disapproving, and maneuvered the car up to the curb. "It's this or Harry's apartment, and I'm not going to explain to him why you're there," he answered. It was a bluff, a complete and utter bluff, but between his own misgivings and irritation, Thomas was really in no mood to make any jokes about sharing beds.

 

"So you'll explain to him why I'm staying at _your_ place instead," Elaine retorted, crossing her arms and sitting back in the seat with absolutely no intention of climbing out of the car. "If this is your idea of a good plan, you can take me right back to the airport."

There was no way in the world, come hell or high water, that she was actually _living_ with him.

 

"Harry doesn't come to my place," he answered blithely, completely ignoring the threat. He got out of the car and around the back, easily hauling Elaine's suitcase out of the back, and came around to the front passenger seat and opened the door. "And Miss Mallory, this is my idea of a spectacularly _bad_ plan. Unfortunately it's also the only plan I've got to keep--" he gestures vaguely at her and her abdomen, "--everything from going off the deep end."

 

She narrowed her eyes at him. "So _now_ it's a bad plan?" She looked past him at the apartment, disapproval clear on her face. "I suppose the next part is me not leaving at all for the next six months."

 

He gritted his teeth and gave her a mocking, flourishing bow. "Since you asked, the next part is I spend the next three months back in the family fold so Lara keeps her eye on me rather than the apartment. I assume you can set up enough warding to keep yourself safe and establish a threshold while I play Distract the Viper."

 

Elaine frowned at that. She hadn't forgotten about Lara and knew enough from Harry and whispers through the ParaNet that she was the real power behind the throne of the White Court. She was also very aware that Lara knew _something_ about the Vegas mission if she had been the one to clean up after Penelope and to have called the morning after the disaster. _How_ much she knew was still uncertain - and diving right into the viper's nest had been one of the reasons Elaine had resisted agreeing to Thomas's none-too-foolproof plan.

"And _that_ won't be suspicious at all?" she asked. Warding wasn't a problem - she had been doing that since she was a teenager. It was the other half of the plan that didn't sit well with her.

 

Thomas muttered something under his breath about wizards and answers, then gestures towards the door of the building again. "Can we talk about this inside rather than on the street?" A pause, and he added, "Please."

 

Elaine found herself hesitating at the last word, glancing up at Thomas and then at the apartment building. For a very long moment, it looked as if she wasn't going to agree at all and she was very tempted to stay just where she was.

But things weren't as simple as a simple refusal.

"Fine." She ignored his proffered hand and climbed out of the car.

 

Thomas relaxed minutely when she agreed, and gestured for her to precede him. He followed at a decorous pace behind, as if utterly aware of what a concession her answer had been. The elevator wasn't safe, but he speaks once they're in it anyway. "Contrary to popular belief, I _have_ tried thinking this through, you know."

 

"Have you?" She didn't sound irritated - only tired. Even in the elevator, away from the public and away from any prying eyes, she doesn't feel comfortable. Not with any of it. Her gaze remained resolutely fixed on the glowing numbers as they ascended the apartment building.

To her credit, the power only flickered once.

 

He was impressed the elevator didn’t shudder and struggle. He supposed Elaine had better control over her emotions than Harry. Harry was an open book whenever he got too upset. But when the elevator's doors opened, he didn't hesitate to step out as quickly as possible, lest they were tempting fate.

He dug the keys out of his pocket and offered them to her. "Last one on the left, in case you want to be sure I didn't boobytrap anything or whatever it is you think vampires do."

 

Elaine glanced down the hall - neither the neighborhood nor the decor of the apartment itself impressed her with its elegance. She looked at the keys and frowned, shaking her head. "You're giving me too much credit," she murmured dryly. " _You_ go first and consider it paranoia."

 

He rolled his eyes and brushed past her with her suitcase in one hand and the keys in the other. "If I'd tried to open the door first you would have insisted you do it, wouldn't you?" he asked, almost rhetorically, as he slipped the key into the lock. Before he turned it, he gave a quick glance around the frame, just checking, and when satisfied, he turned the key and swung the door open, offering her another gratuitous bow.

 

"Force of habit." Even after everything that had happened between them, her trust for him was perilously thin and unlikely to gain traction any time soon. She glanced once again down the hall - she had an idea of what sort of ward to use, but it wouldn't stop anything from getting past a threshold. The apartment wasn't home...but to be honest, when was the last time she had a place that she could _truly_ call home?

She ignored the mockingly courteous bow as she stepped past him into the apartment. She frowned. "This looks like some post-modern interior designer's wet dream." She wasn't sure if she approved or if she was disgusted by the appalling display of wealth.

 

Thomas set her suitcase by the door before closing it. "More like a post-modern interior decorator's retirement fund," he answered with a shrug. Despite his response to Harry's griping about his uncomfortable furniture, Thomas had to admit his persona did not leave much for comfort.

"But if I'm going to play the gay hairdresser, the apartment has to look the part."

 

"You're still doing that job?" Elaine leaned against the back of the couch that she was sure had been a boulder in a previous life - there were more comfortable sidewalks than that.

She looked over at him briefly, studying him. Was she impressed that he still kept at it?

 

Another carefully careless shrug as Thomas crossed the room and to the immaculate kitchen. He pulled out a pair of beer, took a second look at Elaine, and set one back. "Do you want anything? I've got water and..." A pause as he looked in the refrigerator, which was stock with beer and bottled water. "Well, water, at the moment."

Thomas twisted the cap off his beer and tossed the cap across the counter. "The salon's mine," he answered. "Always figured it would be safest to have something of my own just in case Lara decides to disown me again."

 

Elaine took one look at the water and shook her head. "I see Harry hasn't corrupted you with his Coke obsession." Mentioning Harry brought a twinge of guilt and embarrassment to mind, and she looked away, brow furrowed in thought. _That_ was still a conversation that she wasn't looking forward to happening, and she wondered how long they could hide that sort of secret from him.

She absently ran her hand over the cool leather of the couch, restraining another comment about the absurd statement it made and instead asking, "Is that the only reason?"

 

Thomas chuckled drily as he took a pull from the beer bottle. "I have great coffee at work; I don't need the Coke addiction."

He didn't bother pointing out he had enough addictions of his own, and instead gave Elaine a thoughtful look at the question. "Isn't it enough of a reason?"

Which implied there were others, but those had to do with Justine, and how she had been so pleased, so proud of him having found something else to feed his Hunger on, and how now that she was gone, it was his way of keeping her memory alive, even more so than the headstone in the Graceland cemetery that he visited twice a year.

 

Elaine gave an unladylike snort. "Just because it's overpriced doesn't mean it's great."

She returned his gaze briefly before turning back to examine the room again, neither agreeing with nor condemning his words. She had expected something else to press against her senses when she entered the apartment - something unsettling, dire even. But while she was uncomfortable with the prospect of staying at his place, there was nothing supernaturally out of the ordinary.

It almost seemed normal and she didn't want to go down that train of thought.

"What are you going to tell her if she asks why you've come back?" she asked, steering her thoughts back to pressing matters.

 

"That I've pissed off the Stygian Sisterhood again," Thomas answered promptly. "And need a place to hide out for a couple months."

He grinned and ran a hand through his hair, the easy gesture belying just how much thought had gone into his plan. "That'll give her something bigger to look into than the fact that I've sublet my apartment, and if I'm under her eye she'll notice exactly when I meet a woman about your height and colouring at a club. And she'll be too pleased that I'm back in the family fold to look too deep into the fact that once I move back into my place, that a do-- woman matching the description of the one I met at the club and hit it off with is seen around the apartment."

 

She gave him a long, long look.

Then she sighed, already feeling the headache coming along. "You're Harry's brother alright." The plan was ridiculous enough to either work perfectly or to blow up spectacularly in everyone's faces. She assumed the latter was most likely.

 

A wounded look back.

"Oh come ON, there are far fewer things that can be set on fire in my plan."

 

Elaine ignored the look with a shrug. "When it comes to the sheer absurdity of your plans? _Then_ the resemblance is striking."

There was another question stemming from that though - what exactly would Harry say if he found out Thomas had gone back? In the end, she thought, it was lies and deceit all around, no matter how you spun it.

"Remind me to politely punch your cousin in the face next time I see her."

 

Thomas laughed and took another long pull from his beer. He seemed more relaxed when he laughed, more human almost.

"Pen? You're going to have to stand in line, sweetheart. I think my entire family has dibs."

 

She nearly rolled her eyes, but instead settled for straightening up - and immediately cursed the decision as a wave of vertigo caused her to blanch, her grip on the back of the sofa tightening. From nausea to dizziness in a little over three months - the rest of the half-year was looking to be _exciting_. She closed her eyes, quietly using magic to steady herself. The last thing she wanted to do was show any sort of weakness in front of Thomas, not with how everything was unfolded.

"Excuse me while I bypass that entire line." She paused and met his gaze evenly, adding, "Tell me the truth - why are you doing this?"

It had been bothering her since the meeting in the bistro. She should have told him and he should have walked away, soulgaze be damned. It would have been so much _simpler_ that way, much less dangerous - the idea that there was a sense of responsibility here nagged at her, maybe because of her own prejudices. He owed her nothing unless he was going through with this plan as an unsung favor to Harry, but that didn't seem right either. Then again, not much did nowadays.

 

He watched her carefully for a long moment as she gripped the back of the couch. She remained as calm as ever, even though the Hunger stirred deep beneath his skin. That was the problem with predators. They had an uncanny sense for when prey was weak.

But Thomas didn't mention it, and just shrugged. He could dodge her question, no doubt she expected him to, but he suspected he knew how that would end, with him driving her back to the airport.

"Harry ever tell you about our mother?"

 

She tilted her head to the side, frowning. It had been an inevitable conversation when they were growing up together, curiosity and longing for people they had never known or hadn't known for long enough. How many times had they snuck into each other's rooms long after curfew, only to spend hours talking about what _could_ have been. Harry had always talked more about his father, with good reason, and it was more than what she could say about either of her parents combined.

But his mother...Elaine knew that she was a wizard, had died when Harry was born, and that he had inherited his necklace from her. And there had always been rumors around the Seelie court about her power and her recklessness - many of the fae had admired her, from what she understood.

"Sometimes, what he could."

 

A wry smile that was almost a grimace crossed Thomas' face. He suppose that wasn't surprising. After all, he'd only told Harry the bare bones of it himself, and he suspected Harry had been too skittish to tell Elaine any more, especially after... well everything.

"She left, after I was born. Escaped Dad's whole enthralling mojo and got out. Can't really blame her. It would have been harder to go on the run from the White Court with a kid."

 

 _But you do blame her_ , Elaine thought offhandedly, looking away. After all, what child wouldn't? Logic had nothing to do with that sort of heartbreak and the loneliness that inevitably followed.

She didn't interrupt though and kept her thoughts to herself.

 

It was hard not to, when every waking moment he fought the Hunger, the supernatural reminder that he was something other than human. What would have happened if his mother had told him what he was before he succumbed? Could he have been like Inari? Escaping the family curse armed with love and knowledge?

He'd stopped thinking about it long ago, but the bitterness remained, a long buried knot in the back of his mind. The realization that Elaine was pregnant had brought that bitterness back though, the reminder and the what-ifs.

"It might have been easier, to have known about this," a vague gesture at himself. "Before the point of no return and everything. You don't know it, and someone should if the kid isn't going to turn out like m-- you don't want to raise a teenage vampire alone. Trust me on that one."

 

She studied him quietly at those words, knowing deep down that he was being honest with her. In a way, she was relieved - she had hardly expected that much from him, considering her dealings with him in the past. His words also reinforced her fear, that growing twist of uncertainty in her heart that her child - _their_ child - was damned before he or she was even born. And none of this should have happened at _all,_ but...

Life hardly ever gave you what you wanted. One moment it could be a safe haven and the next, it could be cold, vicious, and cruel. She knew that, better than anyone.

She closed her eyes and nodded curtly. "Thank you for telling me."


End file.
